Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards may be 70 this year — along with frontman Mick Jagger — but the band’s just-announced 50th anniversary North American tour shouldn’t be seen as their farewell jaunt.

After all, the new trek is called 50 and Counting …

"Do you know how many times that one’s been asked (about it being the swansong), who knows honey," says the jovial Richards who jokes he was presently "secluded on an unidentified island. I’m here of my own free will."

"If the guys are flying and rocking and everybody feels good, I don’t see why they wouldn’t do 51 and Counting, 52….But at the moment, we’re well aware that we’re getting up there."

Richards could as easily be talking about turning 70 Dec. 18; Jagger hits the milestone July 26.

"Yes, we can’t do anything about it," he jokes. "I’ve applied to the office but no, there’s some things we can’t move."

Richards said the half-century as a group kind of snuck up on the Stones too.

"I don’t know how much the guys really think about it," he says. "At the same time, you realize that the big 5-O does put a certain spin on things. Probably one of the reasons that Mick Taylor (who replaced original guitarist Brian Jones who died in 1969) is going to be along with us is because we just thought it should be a bit of a celebration of any Stones that still want to join in."

Still, some fans were surprised when only nine dates, including Toronto’s Air Canada Centre May 25 as the sole Canadian date, were announced, with plenty of days off in between.

The speculation is that they’ll announce multiple shows in those locations or add other cities later.

"With the Stones, it’s kind of like a juggernaut, once it gets rolling, you never know quite where it’s going to end up," says Richards. "But I see these nine dates as a promising beginning. (Let’s) leave an air of mystery about it."

Still, Richards does say the days off are somewhat to give the group some recovery time between shows.

"Everybody’s pretty healthy. Mick is a heavy duty worker-outter. Basically I get my exercise on stage. ..You pace yourself as you go along."

The Rolling Stones have enjoyed a particularly close relationship with Toronto having rehearsed and staged surprise club shows previously under the eye of concert promoter Michael Cohl, who handled their tours from 1989’s Steel Wheels to 2005’s A Bigger Bang.

But Richards says with the new tour starting in early May in Los Angeles, under new promoter AEG Live, the rehearsals will take place in L.A instead starting next week.

It doesn’t mean Richards, who was infamously busted for heroin possession in 1977 in Toronto, won’t always be a big fan.